So a thing I like to do sometimes is pick a song I think fits the vibe/plot of the chapter. I did this with almost every chapter of my Johanna fic 'Crocodile Tears', and I'm planning on doing it for every Johanna chapter in this story as well, as she has a special place in my heart. Don't feel like you have to listen to them, it's just something I like to do for me.

Song: Alright Aphrodite by Peach Pit

When the gong sounded, her first instinct was to freeze. She was back there, standing on her pedestal, her own breath loud in her ears, her heart hammering its way out of her chest. Her blood turned to ice in her veins and she couldn't stop the shaking of her body. Her second instinct was to run far away – but Blight was strong and tall standing beside her, blocking her in. That ad the fear of what Snow would do to her if she abandoned her post – not that he had anyone left to take from her.

Ashley had gotten away from the Bloodbath with a rucksack, as well as an axe and all of his limbs still intact, which Johanna and Blight were very happy about. He had run into the forest. On another monitor, Caesar told the Capitol audience that the forest used to be called 'Central Park'. It was there he had run into the girl from Ten. And he had literally run into her.

"Ow!" she said, and turned and glared. "Do you mind?" Her hand had jumped instantly to her knife, and Ashley winced.

He put up a hand, and her face softened when she caught sight of him, though she didn't put down the knife. "It's just me. Calm down."

What? He hadn't told them he had allied with her. "The little shit," Johanna hissed. Ashley was by no means 'little' – in fact he was older than her by a few months – but after everything she'd gone through the past year, Johanna was definitely older than him in maturity.

Blight glanced at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "Did you know?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Neither did I."

"Why didn't he tell us?" she asked. She couldn't fathom why Ashley hadn't talked about it with them – maybe he didn't trust them. Maybe Johanna's perception of having a mentor had been altered by Magnolia – she had, after all, known her old mentor for years before being reaped. And she couldn't blame Ashley for not trusting them after knowing them for only a week. It certainly took Johanna longer than that to trust people – she didn't even really trust Blight yet, even after all he'd done for her.

Blight sighed. "I don't know."

Ashley wasn't technically Johanna's tribute – she had been mentoring the girl, Laurel, who was now paralysed, bleeding internally and extremely close to death, within arm's reach of a stack of top-notch first aid supplies. Johanna found this ironic. The Careers still hadn't noticed she was still alive, but the boy from Eleven – Fern, who had somehow managed to join the Career Pack – had been given the task of stabbing all the dead bodies, to make sure they were actually dead and not just paralysed or pretending. Laurel would die soon. It was her own fault, though – how many fucking times had she been told not to go to the Cornucopia? She was already a target, since Johanna had won last year. The Careers always targeted the district and gender of the most recent Victor. Which was why Johanna had told her to immediately run away from the Bloodbath. The dumbass.

Fern got to Laurel, who looked dead. The cannon went off, and Fern looked surprised, realising he had just ended someone's life. Johanna felt sorry for him.

Maybe she had known she didn't have a chance. Maybe she wanted it to be quick. Johanna still wished that the kid wasn't dead.

At least Ashley was alive. If he had asked his mentors about allies, Johanna would have suggested the girl from Ten. She seemed smart, and she was strong and quick on her feet. It also helped that she was hot. Ashley would probably do fine on his own, but with Ten as well? He might actually have a shot at this thing.

The bitch is back.